Six people, including a former Houston Police Department officer, are facing a slew of charges in connection to the largest sex trafficking case in the Southern District of Texas.

Houston residents John Butler, 47, William Hornbeak, 34, Jamine Lake, 27, Andre McDaniels, 39, Kristen Land, 28, and Tulsa, Okla. Resident Ronnie Presley, 35, are charged with with conspiracy to traffic women and children for the purposes of commercialized sex; sex trafficking of children; sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion; transportation of minors; transportation; and coercion and enticement. Upon conviction, each count of sex trafficking and transportation of minors carries a maximum of life in prison, according to a statement from the Department of Justice.

Police have arrested and charged three people with the first-degree felony of human trafficking for allegedly bringing a 15-year-old girl from Mexico into the U.S. and forcing her into prostitution in Houston, according to Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos.

Houston Police Department officers Chris Cegielski, Phil Munoz and Ruben Trevino are credited with rescuing the girl on May 4 as she was hiding in an apartment in the 8500 block of Broadway Street in southeast Houston. The girl's mother and a family friend notified officers that the girl was trying to get help.

Jorge Texis Montano, 24, Sonia Tecuapacho, 24, and Jorge Luis Aguila-Cuapio, 19, are accused of forcing the teen girl into prostitution. Aguila-Cuapio is also accused of having sex with the girl.

Rapper William Dennis, aka Willie D, was indicted Tuesday by a grand jury on 15 counts of wire fraud.

Dennis, 42, was arrested in May when he arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport from an overseas trip. FBI agents Dennis is suspected of engaging in fake sales of the Apple iPhone through a company known as Texas One Wireless.

Dennis is accused of listing the iPhones on the auction website eBay, but then later asking buyers to complete their transaction outside the website through a direct electronic transfer to his bank account.

When the buyers complained they had not received their purchase, Dennis allegedly claimed he had filed a complaint with the shipper, even though he is accused of never shipping the items.

A 27-year-old Beeville man accused of plying middle school girls with drugs and alcohol and then having sex with them was sentenced Thursday to 317 years in prison.

The five-man, seven-woman jury deliberated for about 30 minutes Thursday morning before finding Joe Richard Jasso guilty on all six counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, each count a first degree felony offense punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison and a $10,000 fine.

The jury also convicted Jasso of one count of sexual assault, a second degree felony offense punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

District Court Judge Janna Whatley ordered Jasso to serve four of the life sentences concurrently — at the same time. After he has served that sentence, he is to serve his 20-year sentence. After that sentence, he is to serve another life sentence and once that sentence is served he will have to serve his sixth life sentence.

The man accused of biting out his 4-year-old son's eyes will not stand trial. A Kern County Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that Angelo Mendoza is not mentally competent for trial. County mental health officials will recommend whether Mendoza should go to a county or state mental health facility. The 34-year-old man is accused of attacking his son, Angelo Mendoza Jr., in late April. The child, who was discovered by a neighbor lying naked in a bloody heap on the floor of an Ohio Drive apartment, told officers, "My daddy ate my eyes" and "Daddy bit my...